During IT News Africa’s Tech Demo Africa 2013 showcase, which took place on 21 May, Online Editor Chris Tredger spoke to McLean Sibanda, Chief Executive Officer of The Innovation Hub, about his appointment as the President of the International Association of Science Parks for Africa.

“The President of the Africa division is an important one. The time for Africa is now. Economists recently put out a list of the fastest growing economies in the world and seven of them are located in Africa. In order to sustain that particular growth, innovation will play an important role. Our role as the first science park in Africa means we have a number of things to share with our brothers and sisters in Africa,” he said during the interview.

Sibanda also explained why science parks in Africa are important for the continent. “At the moment there are only about seven or eight science parks in Africa – three of which are in South Africa. When we look at innovation, we tend to look at things from a global view, but things happen at a local level. Science and technology parks, and incubators, are institutions that are there to be able to foster economic development at a regional level.”

“It’s easier to mobilise initiatives around innovation based at a regional level, and these science and technology parks are able to interact with municipalities and communities. They are also able to find solutions to particular emerging challenges. And when you put all these science parks together, they contribute towards the national agenda for innovation.”